The disclosed embodiments relate to a method of testing a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method of testing a semiconductor device to determine the lifespan thereof.
Time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) is one of the breakdown mechanisms of semiconductor devices. TDDB is a mechanism in which an insulator breaks down due to low stress applied thereto for a long time. In order to examine the characteristics of TDDB, stresses such as a voltage, current, heat, or the like of a certain level may be applied to semiconductor devices. For example, when a voltage stress is applied to a semiconductor device, a certain voltage at a similar level to an operating voltage may be applied to the semiconductor device for a long time, and then, the occurrence of a leakage current via an insulator of the semiconductor device may be detected. The leakage current may be generated due to forming of an electron tunneling path via a gate insulating layer.